Holder for thermionic valves



A ril 25, 1950 M. M, LEVY 2,504,992

HOLDER FOR THERMIONIC VALVES Filed July 5, 1346 2 Sheets-Sheet l April I950 M. M. LEVY 2,504,992

HOLDER FOR THERMIONIC VALVES Filed July 5, 1946 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 l 2; I a I i Z //J Mentor am. M

Patented Apr. 25, 1950 HOLDER FOR THERMIONIC VALVES Maurice Moise Levy, London, England, assignor to International Standard Electric Corporation, New York, N. Y., a corporation of Delaware Application July 5, 1946, Serial No. 681,499 In Great Britain July 4, 1945 Section 1, Public Law 690, August 8, 1946 Patent expires July 4, 1965 1 Claim. (01. 173-328) (Granted under the provisions of sec. 14, act of March 2, 1927; 357 0. G.

I The present invention relates to holders for thermionic valves, and particularly to holders for valves having a number of pin terminals sealed through a substantially flat or dish type base.

My U. S. Patent 2,343,779 issued on March 7, 1944, describes and claims a holder for an acorn type valve in which the pin terminals radiate outwards from the axis of the valve in a plane perpendlcular to that axis. The chief feature of that holder comprises a rotatable portion of the holder with a set of grooves for the pin terminals, the arrangement being such that the valve is placed with the pins in the grooves, and is then rotated together with the rotatable member about the valve axis so as to bring the pin terminals into engagement with the corresponding contact springs held in a fixed portion of the holder.

The principal object of the present invention is to apply the same principle in the design of a socket for a valve in which the pin terminals project from the base in a direction parallel to the axis of the valve.

Withvalves of this kind, the pin terminals are frequently arranged in a circle about a central key member, and the corresponding holder has hitherto comprised a number of corresponding socketsinto whichthe pins are directly inserted. It has been found that such holders are often unsatisfactory; bad contacts develop, and considerable force is often necessary to get the valve into and out of the holder. This often results in damage to the pins and fracture of the seals through which the pins pass into the valve.

Accordingly, the present invention provides a holder or socket for a thermionic valve of the kind having electrode terminals which project from the base parallel to the axis of the valve, characterised in this, that the holder is provided with a set of contact devices having the same relative positions as the electrode terminals, and is also provided with a rotatable member having grooves also in the same relative positions as the electrode terminals, the arrangement being such that the valve when placed with its electrode terminals in the said grooves is adapted to be rotated about its axis, carrying the rotatable member therewith, in such manner as to bring the said electrode terminals into electrical contact with the said contact devices.

The invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 shows a side-view of a valve for which the holder according to the invention is intended;

Fig. 2 shows a general view of the valve when inserted in the holder;

Fig. 3 shows a view looking into the cup-shaped moulding of the holder;

Fig. 4 shows a side view of the holder;

Figs. 5, 6 and 7 show respectively a top view, side view and underside view of the rotating member; and

Fig. 8 shows a top view of the valve in the holder;

Fig. 9 shows a detail view of a contact spring;

Fig. 10 shows a contact spring in contact with an electrode terminal.

Referring to Fig. 1, the valve for which the holder of the present invention is intended comprises an envelope I of metal or glass, shown generally cylindrical, without any detail. From the underside of the base project a number of pin terminals 2 arranged in a circle around a central metal plug 3 having a key 4. The pin terminals 2 are parallel to the axis of the envelope I.

Fig. 2 shows the appearance of the valve when it has been inserted in the holder according to the invention.

The holder 5 comprises a cup-shaped moulding 6 of insulating material. Fig. 3 shows a view looking inside the cup, and Fig. 4 is a side view, with the internal parts shown dotted. The cup has a relatively thick base, the fioor of which has three symmetrically arranged sector-shaped slots '1, 8, 9 cut through it, and also a central cylindrical hole I8. Moulded or otherwise secured through the base of the cup are a number of flat contact springs II, the form of one of which springs can be seen in Fig. 9. These contact springs are arranged in a circle and are spaced apart in the same manner as the pin terminals 2 of the valve. These contacts have been omitted from Fig. 4 in order to make the construction of the holder clearer.

The center of the holder is occupied by the circular rotatable member l2 of insulating material shown in Figs. 5, 6 and 7. The top of the member l2 seen in Fig. 5 is plain, and a number of grooves l3 are out round the periphery to accommodate the pins 2 of the valve. A central key-hole I4 is out to accommodate the plug 3 and key 4 of the valve.

The plain portion of the member l2 extends only for about half its thickness, but three sectorshaped legs [5, I6, I! depend from its underside. These legs are designed to project through the sector-shaped holes I, 8, 9 in the base of the holder 5 when the member I2 is placed in the center of the out as indicated in Fig. 4. The angular width of the legs is slightly less than that of the sectorshaped. holes so as to allow the member H to rotate through an angle equal to about half the angle subtended'cat the center' by two of ftlre adjacent contact springs l I. The member-l2 is secured vertically in position inside the cup by means of a plate It held in abutment against the underside of the holder by screws 3| cooperate ing with corresponding holes 32 in the legs l5, l6, II, which holes are visible in- Fig. '7;

l9 cut therein to provide clearance" space" to respect to the grooves l3 so that, when the valve is inserted in the member l2 with-the grooves l3 roughly midway between the corre-- sponding contact springs l l; the member is rotatable in a single direction, e. g. the clockwise. The valve is then inserted with thepins in the grooves, and the valve togetherwith the member I2 is rotated clockwise .until' the pins come under the corresponding contact springs: I I, the contact discs 33 ofv which are normallysprung slightly into the recess I9. These discs aremade slightly convex towards the pins toenable this movement to be made. that the contactdiscswill rideup on to the pins as ShOWn in Fig. 10, sothat a good contact pressure will be obtained, and thecontactswill be substantially self -cleaning.

cured together by welding;for-instance;

it is usedby means of the holes 22 and 23..

In order that the valve may be held sec-urelyiin. the holder withoutrisklof dropping out, the hold-'-- ermay be provided with slotted metal blocks 24 and 25.fixed to the-sheet .ZIL- adapted to cooperate with lugs 29 and 27 fixed to a band- 23 i clamped in the proper position round'the base ofthe valve. Thesedeta'ils are visible in Figs.

2 and 8. Two plain blocks 29 and 39also fixedto the sheet 29 are provided to prevent thevalve from being rotated-in the wrong direction;

Itwill be understood,

4 What is claimed is: Afih'olderfor a'sthermionwvalvemf the kind having"'electrode terminals which project from the base parallel to the axis of the valve, com- "prising a cup-shaped portion of insulating materialhaving resilient contact devices arranged in a circle coaxially therewith and being providedwith-sectorshaped apertures inside said circle-of" contact devices, said contact devices havingthe-samerelative positions as the electrode terminals, a rotatable member having a ,pluralitygof "sector-shaped legs engaging corresponding sector-shaped apertures in said cupshaped portionand having a circular movement therein less than the angle subtended by two adjacent contact devices, said rotatable member being provided with parallel grooves also in thesarn'e relative positions as the electrode terminals and a groove .tranverse to said parallel grooves and extending around said rotatable member,- said-" contact devices each having a contact portion-bent into :said transversegroove for --contacting saiclelectrode-terminals "-uponinsertion of-said valvewith its eiectrode' terminals in said" parallel grooves and rotation with said said" rotatable member:-

MAURICEMOISE LEVY.

REFERENCES-CITED The following references are of'record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATESHPATENTS Number- Name Date 1,618,939 Marth Feb; 22, 1927 2,033,748 Wallace- Mar."10,- 1936 2,034,422 Salzberg- Mar: 17; 1936' 2,072,939 Betts Mar. 9, 1937 2,093,079 Hixon- Septl 14,1937- 2,113, 328-- Makenny; Apr. 5, 1938- 2,-240,050 Neubling" Apr. 29, 1941 2,343,779 Levy et al Mar; '7," 1944 2,432,439 Millette' Dec. 9,- 1947 v FOREIGN PATENTS Number. Country Date a 259,623 Great Britain Oct. 6, 1926 

